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Religion Outline • • • • • The Most Basic of Basics Misconceptions What is Religion? Why is Religion Important? Debate Tactics The Most Basic of Basics Abrahamic Religions • Monotheistic religions that believe they descend from Abraham • Judaism • Christianity • Islam Key Term: Ethnoreligious Group • An ethnic group of people whose members are unified by a common religious background. • Interaction of culture, language, religion, and collective identity • Examples: Sikh, Zoroastrians, and Jews Judaism • Oldest Abrahamic religion • Origins: Ancient Israel and Judea • Important texts: – Torah – Tanakh/Hebrew Bible – Oral Tradition, etc. • 14 Million Jews; 42% in Israel and 42% in North America Christianity • • • • Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy (11th century schism) Protestantism (16th century) Important Texts – Old Testament – New Testament – Etc. Islam • Quran + Muhammad’s teachings • Southeast Asia, North Africa, Western Asia, and Central Asia; Iran, Pakistan • Sunni Islam • Shia Islam Hinduism • • • • South Asia Broad range of philosophies Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism 3rd largest religion Buddhism • Nontheistic • Gautama Buddha – 6th – 4th century • Four Noble Truths The Big Five • Christianity • Islam • Hinduism • Buddhism • Folk Religion Misconceptions THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW • Most non-Abrahamic religions do not have a concept of hell or damnation • Christianity is the world’s fastest growing religion • U.S. is historically not that Christian • Islam vs. Islamism What is Religion? Is religion an interest, or an identity? What is Religion? • Worldview – Way of seeing yourself, the people around you, and your relationship with the divine – Not just some opinions or beliefs Why are people religious? • Often cultural or family context – Community Identity – Ethnoreligious Groups • Set of beliefs or values – Way of understanding the world, your place within it, and what will happen to you after death Religion • Individual and collective identity • Not easy (or desirable) to change – E.g. Sexual orientation • Can be a very positive thing – Black activism in the United States – Protestantism vs. Catholicism Why is all this important? • Religion is not just a “choice” • Long-lasting influence – Bite the dust – Blind leading the blind – By the skin of your teeth – Broken heart – Can a Leopard Change his spots? – Eat, Drink, and Be Merry – Nothing but skin and bones – The Powers that Be – Pride comes before a fall – Rise and shine Debate Tactics! • Knowing when religion is and isn’t important to the discussion • To argue that something will negatively impact a religious group – Asking yourself why – Context and information Debate Tactics • How to argue against that – Prove that the potential harms are so great that they merit it – Argue for something else